Rutgers University on Tuesday released an internal report that recommends reducing the size of its board of trustees, a little more than a week after state Senate President Stephen Sweeney accused school officials of keeping the findings hidden.

The report, initiated in response to an unsuccessful attempt by Sweeney last year to abolish the board of trustees, concludes that the board helps preserve the university’s autonomy but that having 59 voting members and another 31 non-voting members makes it cumbersome.

“The size of the board of trustees may be too large to implement best practices in governance,” the report says.

It recommends reducing the voting membership to between 36 and 43 members. A minority report goes even further, suggesting no more than 30 voting members with a “preference for about 25.”

Sweeney is sponsoring proposed legislation that would add four politically appointed members to Rutgers’ board of governors, currently at 15 members, which makes policy decisions for the school and seven of whose members are appointed by the board of trustees, which acts mostly in an advisory capacity. Critics say the proposal would diminish the university’s autonomy.

Last week, Sweeney said that beefing up the board of governors would strengthen the school. He also revived his argument that the board of trustees is unnecessary, saying most schools have only one governing board. He challenged Rutgers to release the report by a joint task force, completed late last year, and claimed it was being “hidden from the public.”

Rutgers responded by releasing the report Tuesday. Sweeney was unavailable for comment Tuesday night, according to a spokesman. A Rutgers spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

Peter McDonough, the university’s senior vice president for External Affairs, said Tuesday in a letter to state Sen. Sandra Cunningham, chairwoman of the Senate Higher Education Committee, that the report was completed in December and reviewed by the Board of Trustees in March. He wrote that the school’s two boards may take action on some of the recommendations next month “while continuing the evaluation of others.”

The report, by a Joint Task Force on Governance also suggested making changes to the board of governors by reducing the size of its committees and increasing the amount of time those committees meet.

“The size of the committees may inhibit open discussion and deliberation of important governance matters,” the report said. It added that committee meetings often are too short to “adequately discuss the meeting material.”

It recommended reducing the size of the board of trustees over four to five years “by attrition.” It said such a measure would require approval by the board of trustees and an amendment of its bylaws.

Rutgers University on Tuesday released an internal report that recommends reducing the size of its board of trustees, a little more than a week after state Senate President Stephen Sweeney accused school officials of keeping the findings hidden.

The report, initiated in response to an unsuccessful attempt by Sweeney last year to abolish the board of trustees, concludes that the board helps preserve the university’s autonomy but that having 59 voting members and another 31 non-voting members makes it cumbersome.

“The size of the board of trustees may be too large to implement best practices in governance,” the report says.

It recommends reducing the voting membership to between 36 and 43 members. A minority report goes even further, suggesting no more than 30 voting members with a “preference for about 25.”

Sweeney is sponsoring proposed legislation that would add four politically appointed members to Rutgers’ board of governors, currently at 15 members, which makes policy decisions for the school and seven of whose members are appointed by the board of trustees, which acts mostly in an advisory capacity. Critics say the proposal would diminish the university’s autonomy.

Last week, Sweeney said that beefing up the board of governors would strengthen the school. He also revived his argument that the board of trustees is unnecessary, saying most schools have only one governing board. He challenged Rutgers to release the report by a joint task force, completed late last year, and claimed it was being “hidden from the public.”

Rutgers responded by releasing the report Tuesday. Sweeney was unavailable for comment Tuesday night, according to a spokesman. A Rutgers spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

Peter McDonough, the university’s senior vice president for External Affairs, said Tuesday in a letter to state Sen. Sandra Cunningham, chairwoman of the Senate Higher Education Committee, that the report was completed in December and reviewed by the Board of Trustees in March. He wrote that the school’s two boards may take action on some of the recommendations next month “while continuing the evaluation of others.”

The report, by a Joint Task Force on Governance also suggested making changes to the board of governors by reducing the size of its committees and increasing the amount of time those committees meet.

“The size of the committees may inhibit open discussion and deliberation of important governance matters,” the report said. It added that committee meetings often are too short to “adequately discuss the meeting material.”

It recommended reducing the size of the board of trustees over four to five years “by attrition.” It said such a measure would require approval by the board of trustees and an amendment of its bylaws.